Lakers Playoff Preview: WCF vs. Denver Nuggets

Welcome to the Western Conference Finals preview with the Lakers and Nuggets set to square off for the right to go to the NBA Finals. Yeah, this is a matchup that nobody expected. But a certain LA team did not live up to their end of the bargain. Alright, enough with the Clippers slander. I saved that in the previous post, so this preview solely focuses on the Lakers-Nuggets matchup.

This is quite an improbable run for the Nuggets. "Quit" is a demoralizing word. But it doesn't exist in the dictionary for these young Denver Nuggets, the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit twice in one postseason run!

The "never-say-die" attitude of these Nuggets is spearheaded by the duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. They have been nothing short of magnificent of putting the team on their backs in "win or go home" situations. Michael Porter Jr., the rookie has elevated his play to provide a spark for the 2nd unit. And Mike Malone has done a masterful job coaching this young, yet deep squad and making the necessary adjustments when the stakes get high. 

With the way the Nuggets have played in elimination games, the series is never over with them. The Jazz and the Clippers have learned that the hard way. You think this team is down and out? That's all the fuel that this team needs and Murray and Jokic turn it up a notch. Mike Malone becomes more active and vocal, coaching on the sidelines and placing the rest of the personnel in best positions to succeed. I'm not going to be one of those fans that thinks this series will be easy for the Lakers. The Nuggets deserve their dues and they're a team that shouldn't be underestimated.

The key for this series is to slow down the two-man game of Murray and Jokic. One is a flame thrower when hot and the other lives up to the "Joker" moniker as an all-around stud. Jokic has been unstoppable in the paint. But let's look at the bigger picture: Rudy Gobert, defensive stud, but very limited on offense. Ivica Zubac, limited on both ends. Montrezl Harrell, undersized. 

The Lakers have the perfect counter for Nikola Jokic: enter Anthony Davis. So far, the Nuggets have never faced a team with a skilled big man on both ends of the floor. All eyes will be on AD this series in his first conference finals appearance. You can expect LeBron to feed him early on. Pound-for-pound, he cancels out Jokic in this matchup. If there's one weakness Jokic has is that he folds when someone outworks him physically. We evidently saw that in the regular season matchups. AD can limit him with no help defense. He also has the complementary big men of Javale McGee and Dwight Howard to keep him fresh. They can hold their own as well. Dwight, especially at his age was able to give Jokic some fits. Jokic initiates the Nuggets offense as the de facto floor general. The Lakers limit him, they disrupt Denver's flow.

Problem number 2: Jamal Murray. He has emerged as the most unguardable scoring guard in elimination games. Again, the presence of Avery Bradley will be sorely missed. But so far, KCP, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Rondo, and Kuz have held their own defensively. They had to go through a pernnial All-Star scoring and a two-MVPs backcourt. The beneficial part is that Murray doesn't have a partner-in-crime in the backcourt. Will Barton could've been that guy, but he's not in the bubble. MPJ is coming off the bench. Defensively, the Lakers need to take the ball off Murray's hands as quick as possible and make the rest of Denver's supporting cast beat them. They have done a good job on that in these playoffs. If necessary, put LeBron on him, but only for closeout situations.

Experience will likely be a key factor in this series. Outside of Paul Millsap, who has made the conference finals once with the Atlanta Hawks, every other player from the Nuggets are at this stage for the first time. Mike Malone has not coached a team to the conference finals previously. Frank Vogel has twice with the Indiana Pacers from 2013 & 2014. The Lakers have nine players that have played in at least one or more conference finals series:

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat): 2007, 2009, 2011-2018

J.R. Smith (Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers): 2009, 2015-2018

Danny Green (San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors): 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019

Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics): 2008, 2010, 2012

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets): 2009, 2010, 2015

Quinn Cook (Golden State Warriors): 2018, 2019

Javale McGee (Golden State Warriors): 2017, 2018

Dion Waiters (Oklahoma City Thunder): 2016 

Jared Dudley (Phoenix Suns): 2010

As evident, this Lakers team is filled with veterans that were battled tested at this stage of the playoffs. They will be assets that guys like AD, Kuz, Caruso, KCP, THT, and 'Kieff can rely on when the going gets tough. LeBron and Rondo's leadership will be huge for the Lakers to successfully close out against a team with a lot of heart, willpower, and determination.

This series is not the "Battle of LA," but it is still an intriguing matchup to watch. The Nuggets have played two consecutive 7-game series, but will they have enough left in the tank to magically pull off another one? The Lakers are not the Jazz or the Clippers. They have treated each of their playoff series with a "business as usual" mindset. LeBron has never blown a 3-1 lead. If the Lakers stay in character, by that I mean they don't ease up like in the 4th quarter of Game 4 vs. Houston, they will deny Denver's bid at another 3-1 comeback. Jazz and Clippers got too overconfident against them. Clippers, especially, my goodness. But, the Lakers, they may be having fun, but they're not playing games either, especially with a championship at stake. I say this series wraps up in six. I'll see you guys tomorrow after Game 1.

Lakers Drop the Hammer in Closeout Win

Final Score: HOU 96 LAL 119 - Lakers Advance 4-1

Welcome in to the recap of Game 5. The Lakers complete yet another gentleman's sweep, putting the Rockets out of orbit 96-119. The Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010.

Now that's how you dominate from start to finish! Game 4 left a bad taste at the end with the Lakers committing mental mistakes, allowing the Rockets to creep back in. Tonight, no comeback this time. Houston did have that mini run at the start of the 2nd quarter. But, the Lakers outplayed them big time to close this series out.

I said in my preview, the 3-point shooting is going to be an X-Factor in this matchup, especially for everyone outside LeBron and AD. It took awhile throughout the series, but when it mattered the most, they fired from all cylinders. Markieff Morris, Danny Green, and KCP showed out in this category. 'Kieff has been the game-changer throughout this series and he capped it off with 16 points and shot a perfect 4-4 from three. Danny Green added 14 points, shot 4-6 from three. KCP chipped in 10 points, shot 2-3 from three. Kyle Kuzma shot 3-6 from three and finished with 17 points off the bench. 

The Lakers beat the Rockets at their own game tonight. Outside of James Harden's efficient 30-point night, the Rockets couldn't buy a bucket. Credit to the stifling Laker defense for that. They had the perimeter on lockdown and completely took Houston off their game. In the 3rd quarter, between the 9:52 mark and 4:59 mark, they couldn't buy a bucket. They got outscored 18-33 and never made another run.

With how the supporting cast stepped up, LeBron and AD didn't have to be great. LeBron still put up numbers we're accustomed to with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Though AD had  only 13 points, he crashed the boards with 11 rebounds tonight. We can live with AD's off-game offensively, considering how the team played at a high level tonight. But he still did everything else from rebounding to anchoring the suffocating defense that the Lakers displayed out there tonight.

For the first time since 2010, the Lakers are in the Western Conference Finals. I've ran this blog for a long time after the Lakers' win over the Celtics in Game 7 that year. Back then, it's like these deep playoff runs were a guarantee. But for 10 years, it never happened. I thought by starting off this blog, I cursed the Lakers into mediocrity. Now to see them back one series away from the NBA Finals, it feels great. 

But they're not out of the woods yet. They will await the winner of Clippers-Nuggets. Without question, the Clippers pose the biggest threat to the Lakers' championship aspirations. They're deep in every position. But last night, they had a hiccup closing out Denver. Maybe the Clipper curse is still very real. But if it comes down to it, it's gonna be an exciting battle with the two LA teams if the Clippers do their job tomorrow night. It's just too bad that it's not gonna happen at Staples Center. Anyway, we'll await the winner and I'm going to post my preview immediately after. I'll see you guys later.

'Bron on a Mission; Laker Q4 Defense Clamps Rockets in Game 3

Final Score: LAL 112 HOU 102 - Lakers Lead 2-1

Welcome in to the recap of Game 4. The Lakers and Rockets went back and forth throughout the whole. But in the end, LeBron James won't be denied and the Lakers stepped their game up in the 4th. Lakers take a 2-1 series lead in these West semis behind vintage performances LeBron and Playoff Rondo.

Another tough, gritty win against these pesky Rockets. This game has been tight throughout. Houston played keepaway with the close lead and responded quickly when the Lakers rallied to take a couple of leads prior to the 4th. But the 4th quarter, a whole different story as the Lakers took control throughout.

As I mentioned, behind LeBron's 30+ point performance, Lakers kept themselves within striking distance. Anthony Davis was quiet in the first half, yet came alive in the 3rd quarter. The supporting cast was a no show until late in the 3rd quarter. It started with a pressure three from Rondo as the shot clock expired to give the Lakers an 80-77 lead. That was like a shot in the arm to get him going. Kyle Kuzma, same thing. Got a few good looks to the basket and then he was more active in the 4th to close this out.

Perhaps the small game changer was the adjustment that Frank Vogel made. He sat out Javale McGee in the 2nd half to put Markieff Morris at Center. We can see in this series, this matchup is unfavorable for McGee and Dwight Howard because of Houston's ability to space the floor. With the change, the Lakers were able to double more on James Harden and contain the perimeter. Although the only negative was the points in the paint. The Rockets took advantage of that this whole game. Even with the lineup change, they still found a way to penetrate to the basket. Other than that, the defense got better with the smaller lineup in the 2nd half.

Final stat lines: LeBron poured in 36 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. This is a stat line Miami Heat 'Bron would put up from 2010-2014. He was a man on a mission tonight on both ends of the floor and unquestionably the MVP of this game. Rajon Rondo gets runner-up with 21 points and 9 assists. "Playoff Rondo" showed up in the 4th and jumpstarted the bench production for the Lakers. AD notched 26 points and 15 rebounds. As mentioned, he stood out more in the 2nd half. Kyle Kuzma also stood out in the 2nd half with 14 points. I liked how active Kuz was on the offense, making the necessary cuts and crashing the boards.

If there's any themes of this series is that the 4th quarter will be a key factor. It's a matter of which team can be effective in crunch time. So far, the Lakers have controlled the 4th quarter in Games 2 & 3 since the ugly loss in Game 1. This Rockets team won't be easy to take down as long as they're getting to the line and shooting timely threes. But, the Lakers have made the adjustments since Game 1. They are forcing the Rockets to play at an unfavorable pace. Up 2-1, we know what happened in Portland in Game 4 in the last round. Lakers will look to replicate that and start fast to take a commanding 3-1 lead. I'll see you guys on Thursday for that game.

King and 'Brow Respond; Rondo and 'Kieff Step Up in Game 2 Win

Final Score: HOU 109 LAL 117 - Tied 1-1

Welcome in to the full recap of Game 2. The Lakers responded after the Game 1 debacle powered by their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The King and the 'Brow showed up and combined for 62 total points to top the Rockets 109-117 and even up this series at one game a piece.

If anything, the Lakers are going to need more of these to contain this well-oiled 3-point machine. Let's get the negative out of the way, the 3rd quarter was a total breakdown from the Lakers. They abandoned most of the things that were working for the most part of the game. But credit to the Rockets for making the necessary adjustments. They started trapping more on defense to force some turnovers. What worked for the Lakers was that they were deploying a zone defense to slow down the Rockets and force the ball out Westbrook or Harden's hands. The 3rd quarter, they abandoned that and were lazy on rotation. That lead to a lot of open looks from Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, and PJ Tucker, three prominent Rockets role players. And they helped Houston mount a comeback and have the lead at one point. Missed free throws also played a factor to allow the Rockets to hang around a bit.

Now, let's move to the positives. I said it before and I'll say it again, LeBron and AD have to impose their will on this undersized Rockets team. Last game, they only scored a combined 5 points in the 4th quarter. Tonight, they were much better down the stretch. AD lead all scorers with 34 points to go with 10 boards. LeBron racked up a near triple-double with with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists to go with 4 steals.

Not to worry, the superstars got help tonight. Markieff Morris stepped up in a big way with 16 points. He started 4-4 from threes to extend the Laker lead to as many as 16. Rajon Rondo had a much better game tonight with 10 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Rondo set the tone for the Lakers defensively and most of all, he took better care of the basketball with just 1 turnover. 

Some other standouts, Kyle Kuzma chipped in 13 points with 6-7 shooting. The defensive numbers don't tell the whole story. But, I thought Kuz was solid defensively tonight. Danny Green added three 3-pointers with 9 points.

Overall, minus the 3rd quarter, the Lakers' activity on both ends were on display tonight. They got the Rockets in foul trouble. They gave Russell Westbrook a tough time, which was a huge help to get this W. But, they gotta do something about Houston's role players. When they step up, they can wreck a game plan and shift momentum in a hurry. This series will be a grind as long as Houston's players are locked in, especially when Westbrook and James Harden have inefficient games. 

Tonight, I liked the adjustments made by Frank Vogel and the coaching staff. They gave Markieff Morris extended minutes to stretch the floor and have AD play extended minutes at Center. We saw Javale McGee and Dwight Howard were ineffective last game in the lineup. So, they gotta match up, but retain their advantage in size and ability to crash the glass and dominate the paint. Whether or not they can maintain this consistency for the next three games remains in question. This series is just heating up. I'll see you guys on Tuesday for the next game.

Rockets Blast Lakers in Game 1

Final Score: HOU 112 LAL 97 - Rockets Lead 1-0

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of this game. The Lakers dropped another Game 1 in these playoffs. But unlike the opening round against Portland, they got dominated this game. An undersized Rockets team dominated and outplayed the much bigger Lakers squad 112-97 to take a 1-0 series lead. Shocking ain't it?

I mentioned it before, extended rest can be a double-edged sword. Prior to this, the Lakers were chilling while the Houston was in a dogfight against OKC in a 7-game series. After looking at this game, I don't think that was a factor. The Lakers jumped to a 7-0 lead before the Rockets upped the sense of urgency this game. I didn't find any signs of rust. The Rockets outplayed them the rest of the way and were the more physical team tonight. 

I said it in the preview: when the tandem of Russell Westbrook and James Harden go off, Houston is hard to beat despite their lack of size. After an atrocious Game 7, Harden was Houston's leading scorer with 36 points on an efficient 12-20 shooting. Westbrook chimed in with 24 points on 10-24 shooting. I told y'all they were going to find ways to be aggressive and draw contact to get to the free throw line. 

To make matters worse, key role players for the Rockets stepped up. Austin Rivers lead Houston's bench with 10 points. He started with 6 quick points to help balloon Houston's lead to 7 at the start of 2nd quarter.  Eric Gordon went off this game with 23 points on 7-14 shooting. The Lakers did a lazy job against him defensively. It's like they completely forgotten that Gordon is quite the scorer as well. I recalled two or three times, the Lakers didn't bother to rotate and Gordon had all day to get set and shoot the wide open three. 

As I mentioned, the Lakers didn't look rusty. But rather, they put up a disappointing effort after a 7-0 start. Turnovers and LeBron and AD combining for just 5 points in the 4th quarter were the major stories this game. They got some reinforcements with Rajon Rondo back in the rotation tonight. Evaluating, Rondo's return, he had a valley, then a peak, then a valley again. Rondo had the case of the "slip and slide" to start. He fell twice or three times when he was handling the ball. It was a tough stretch for him, lucky he got up unscathed. He showed signs with a 3-pointer and a layup off glass. And then, the turnovers mounted up.

Turnovers were close with the Rockets committing 13 turnovers compared to the Lakers' 15. But, the Lakers committed turnovers in the most critical times, especially when they were trailing by two or one. During those sequences, as a Laker fan, all you can do was shake your head. I had my head down the whole time when the Lakers committed these silly turnovers when they needed a bucket to tie or take the lead and get some of the momentum back. This is especially the conundrum when you have Rondo return and pair him with LeBron in the lineup. Rondo had a mixed performance. He pushed the pace well, but played "hot potato" with the basketball in his return. The Rockets made them pay in that category and bombarded them with threes to extend their lead. By the way, Lakers shot 24% from three and the Rockets shot 36% from deep. I did mention the three-point shooting was going to be an X-factor for this series.

Onto the superstar duo, LeBron James provided some highlights with a poster dunk on Westbrook and a chase down block on Westbrook again, but he didn't do a lot more. Anthony Davis as well. AD had 25 points and 14 rebounds while LeBron had 20 points and 7 assists, but these were disappointing stat lines if you looked back at this game. They got punked by Houston's defense tonight. To make matters worse, they didn't score in the 4th quarter until the 4 minute mark. By that time, it was too late and Frank Vogel effectively waved the white flag two minutes later by taking both of them out of the game.

The only positive I could probably take out of this game is that Alex Caruso showed out, leading the bench with 14 points. If there's positive with Rondo returning, Caruso can play off ball more. But other than that, the Lakers dropped the ball on this game. You can't blame rust or the extended rest, they got outplayed on both ends. 

Here's the concerning part: the Lakers are now 0-3 against Houston since the small ball lineup was unveiled back in February. It should be clear that size and length are not just the only thing that's going to take down this team. The Lakers need to do a better job at being the more physical team. And most importantly, they gotta take care of the basketball, especially since Houston likes to run and gun. That's the Mike D'Antoni / 7 seconds or less principle. The silver lining is that when the Lakers dropped the first game against Portland, they came back and won the next four. Will history repeat itself this series? Certainly, but they need to do a better job. I'll see you guys after Game 2 on Sunday.

Lakers Playoff Preview: Semis vs. Houston Rockets

Welcome in to another playoff preview. Finally, the stage is set for the Lakers to take on the Houston Rockets in the Western semifinals. What a thrilling end to the first round in the West! Tuesday, Nuggets and Jazz ended in a wild finish with the Nuggets prevailing and overcoming a 3-1 deficit. Rockets and Thunder had a lot of storylines surrounding James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul, which made an intriguing 1st round matchup. At the end of the day, the Rockets pulled it out coming up clutch on defense tonight. Not quite what you'd expect out of a Mike D'Antoni-coached team.

The Rockets are a team that has taken small ball to an extreme level. They have no true center on their roster. If you want to count Tyson Chandler, go ahead. At this point, he's just coaching them from the sidelines. And their game plan is pretty simple: live and die by the 3 and hope you can outscore your opponent. This team before the trade deadline retooled to have the roster consist of Westbrook, Harden, and a bunch of sharpshooting "3 and D" players. 

Despite being undersized, the Rockets are a tough, scrappy team. Harden made some clutch defensive plays in these playoffs. Robert Covington is a solid 2-way role player. P.J. Tucker is a dog out there. Westbrook can play D when healthy. This roster has some dogs. If I heard right, their defense has been top-tier throughout their series against OKC. The seventh game saw them in a close win, but their first three wins, they dominated the Thunder on both ends of the floor. But, credit to the Thunder, a team with .2% chance of making the playoffs, they hung in there and almost pulled off the win. If they won, all hell would've broken loose in Houston.

Now, we look at how the Lakers match up. In the series against Portland, the Lakers only had Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside to worry about in the paint. But, they still imposed their will with the two-man powerhouse of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. By Game 3, LeBron was in attack mode and the series was history. Well, it was history when they went full Black Mamba mode in Game 4. The Lakers present a big mismatch for the Rockets. They're not facing a clumsy Steven Adams or an undersized CP3. They're facing a freight train disguised as a point guard and a titan with skills. We expect the Lakers to impose their will and use their size to feast inside the paint. Defensively, Houston may be small, but they're not going to back down. Simply put, they have to be the more physical team and it starts with the two man game of LeBron and AD being aggressive on both ends of the floor. 

There are two problems that the Lakers are going to encounter defensively. Obviously Westbrook and Harden are a problem. But, they also need to clamp down on the perimeter. Westbrook and Harden are dangerous when they shoot their patented midrange and stepback three efficiently. Not to mention, one can pick up the slack when the other is underperforming. Take the OKC series as evidence. Dame and McCollum were a handful for Caruso, KCP, Danny Green, and Kuz. What more with this backcourt of two ex-MVPs? They will obviously try to get whistles in their favor. Whoever is guarding them, they must remain disciplined and stay in front of them at all times. If the Lakers apply help defense, they should anticipate early that they will kick it to the open man from the perimeter. As I mentioned, Houston's role players are sharpshooters. They can chuck up as many threes as they want because they are confident in those shots. Not to mention, when you have Harden and Westbrook breaking down the defense, they will sit comfortably from the 3-point line because they know they have a higher percentage shot. 

For an X-factor, I hope the Lakers worked on their threes all week long. The last time these two teams met, the 3-point differential favored the Rockets by a huge margin. In the first round, we saw encouraging signs that the Lakers are slowly getting that 3-point shooting going. If the Lakers continue to strive and shoot efficiently from deep while dominating the paint, Houston will have no answer and this series will be over in a blur. 

Lakers will be well-rested for this series. They haven't looked well in the bubble overall. But, based on that first round series against Portland, it looks like they've shaken off some rust and got back into midseason form prior to the league suspension. This is a salivating matchup for the Lakers. As long as they do all the aformentioned things and not turn the ball over more than Houston, they could very well take this in a four-game sweep. Maybe they'll allow one generous win. But from what I saw from the Lakers against Portland and how Houston struggled to put OKC away down the stretch of their 1st round series, this presents a very advantageous matchup in favor of the LakeShow. I'll see you guys back here on Friday after the game. 

Lakers Dispatch Shorthanded, Scrappy Blazers in 5

Final Score: POR 122 LAL 131 - Lakers Advance 4-1

The NBA resumed today after a couple day suspension of the playoffs in the wake of the teams' boycott this past Wednesday, showing solidarity after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. The Lakers returned to play and locked in business as usual to top the shorthanded Trail Blazers 122-131, completing the "gentleman's sweep" and advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2012.

Crazy week in the NBA, but we're glad that the players convened and agreed to finish the NBA season in the bubble as planned. At the same time, we're aware that some things are bigger than basketball. Politics and social justice aside, the Lakers took care of business tonight. But, credit to the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard is out. They only played a 9-man rotation tonight. However, they still hung in there and didn't lay down without a fight. Respect to them. 

With that said, the Blazers did look like they were going to spoil this close out game. The Lakers got Anthony Davis going early as he scored the first 8 points for the Lakers, but they looked out of rhythm to start. Until LeBron James reentered the game at the 3:59 minute mark, things settled down for the Lakers a little bit. They pulled away a little bit in the third quarter, but the Blazers wouldn't go away. By the time the 4th quarter hit, they had chances to tie or take the lead. CJ McCollum went off for 36 points tonight. Carmelo Anthony turned back the clock with 27 points. He showed that he's still a deadly midrange shooter. Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons stepped up in lieu of Dame Time. 

Despite this, the Lakers powered their way through. Literally, it was LeBron, AD, and the defense that helped close out this game. In close out games, the teams rely on their stars to show out big and tonight's game was proof. AD topped the scoring charts with 43 points, adding 9 rebounds. As I mentioned previously, he scored the Lakers' first 8 points of the game. He was already in double figures before Q1 ended. LeBron James notched his triple-double with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists and was aggressive as usual. 

The supporting cast struggled offensively, except KCP and Dwight Howard. They had double figure points with 14 and 11 respectively. Alex Caruso had the highest field goal percentage off the bench with 60% on 3 of 5 shooting. But, it was the team defense that carried them. KCP added 3 steals. Caruso notched 4 steals and a block. He was the defensive player of the game tonight. Kyle Kuzma had some key defensive stops despite the horrendous shooting and 5 personal fouls. Let's be honest Melo took Kuz to school for the most part of the game. You can tell, this team fed on the greatness that LeBron and AD displayed tonight. As the 4th quarter winded down, the Blazers just looked gassed. At the 1:56 mark, Blazers coach Terry Stotts waved the white flag, taking all the starters out and calling it a season.

As I mentioned before, respect to the Blazers for not laying down without a fight. Scary at the same time, but the Lakers handled it well to avoid a surprising Game 6 thanks to the two-man powerhouse of the King and the 'Brow and a stifling defense. Now, we look ahead to the next round. It is likely that the Houston Rockets and they're 3-point barrage are next on the list. They'll be another tough opponent, especially with the timely return of Russell Westbrook to take some load off of James Harden. As if Lillard and McCollum were a handful in the backcourt, what more with two former MVPs in that 1 and 2 positions respectively? I'll be watching that Houston-OKC series closely and the 2nd round preview will follow immediately if the Rockets close out in Game 6 on Monday. 

In special closing, I want to acknowledge the NBA for paying tribute to three great men we lost this week. Lute Olson, one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history passed away on Thursday, Clifford Robinson, Trail Blazers legend passing away to cancer today, and of course the gutwrenching news last night on Chadwick Boseman, aka the Black Panther / King T'Challa and his 4-year fight with colon cancer that hasn't been disclosed until his passing. It's crazy we lost these people for three consecutive days this week. Honestly, 2020, this year never ceases to surprise me. It's like each month there's gotta be a tragedy or something that is of significance that negatively affects our society. It also reminds us that cancer is still something of significant issue that predates all of the crazy stuff going on in 2020. And it's something that hits close to home for me having family and friends that lost the good fight to or are currently fighting this incurable ailment. I ask all of our researchers to please, please expedite on a formula for a cure. RIP to everyone mentioned. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Embrace "Mamba Mentality" in Game 4 Rout

Final: LAL 135 POR 115 - Lakers Lead 3-1

This game was absolutely incredible and a great way to cap off a two-day celebration of the late, great Kobe Bryant. On this day of 8/24, the Lakers donned their Black Mamba-themed jerseys and embraced the "Mamba Mentality" on the floor. They took no prisoners tonight, dominating the hapless Blazers from start to finish to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Oh my goodness, this game was like being on "Cloud 9." If any Laker fan knows how Kobe Bryant played the game, he had that killer instinct and wanted to rip the hearts out of opponents time in and time out. Tonight, Kobe was guiding the Lakers in spirit. 

To see how this all unfolded, Lakers jumped onto a 15-0 start at the first quarter. Portland couldn't buy a bucket until at the 7:52 mark. The defense made them work hard to earn a bucket. The offense was clicking tonight. LeBron was aggressive. AD was aggresive. Kyle Kuzma, KCP, and Danny Green were firing on all cylinders from three. For the entire 48 minutes of play, the Lake Show put on a clinic on both ends of the floor.

Portland never stood a chance and you could tell by their visible frustration by the 2nd quarter. Combined with their sloppy play and lack of rhythm on offense, they looked intimidated by the Lakers' defensive intensity. The only thing that kept them alive was that Jusuf Nurkic was crashing the boards. But for the most part, they were held in check. You know it's even worse for them when Dame and McCollum, their star backcourt tandem fail to score 20+ points. Lillard once again battled injuries in the third quarter and at that point, Blazers needed to wave the white flag because they had nothing going to get themselves back in the game.

Final stat lines: LeBron James was magnificent tonight with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. Through three quarters, he was in attack mode and absolutely gashed and demoralized the Blazers' defense tonight or lack thereof. AD followed with 18 points. It was reported that Davis sustained some back spasms in 3rd quarter and was ruled out for rest of the game. Lakers erred on the side caution, especially when they had the game under control. Danny Green chipped in 14 points with three 3-pointers. KCP had 12 points. Kyle Kuzma lead the bench in scoring with 18 points and Dwight followed with 13 points. Javale McGee, Alex Caruso, and Markieff Morris also contributed small details to impact the game for the Lakers. Special shout out to them. It was an all-around team win.

And on this day of honoring Kobe, there was an "Easter Egg" in the first quarter and almost another one at the end of the first half. At the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, Lakers scored 24 points and held the Blazers to 8 points. It's a coincidental nod to the two jerseys that Kobe wore in his 20-year career with the Lakers. We almost had another one at the end of the first half, when the Lakers dropped 80 points, one point shy of matching Kobe's career high of 81 points against the Raptors back in 2006. I'll admit, I was greedy and yelling: "please score a three or get an 'and 1' to hang 81 at the half!" Honestly, with the way this game was going, it was a good time to be a bit of a homer. But, this is something Hollywood can't even make up. I'll say it again, this game was incredible and a surreal experience, especially when you reflect on the significance of Kobe Bryant's legacy.

With this game in the books, the Lakers are now one win away from advancing to the Conferencr semifinals since 2012. Don't expect the Trail Blazers to go down quietly. They'll fight to the end with their backs up against the wall and the Lakers must be wary of that. The message is simple: take care of business and close out in Game 5 on Wednesday night. I'll see you guys later.

LeBron Attacks, AD Finishes Strong in Game 3 Win

 Final Score: LAL 116 POR 108 - Lakers lead 2-1

Now, that's how you take back "home court!" The Lakers overcome an ugly first half and some horrendous free throw shooting and dominate in the 2nd half to beat the Blazers 116-108 in Game 3. Lakers take the series lead at 2-1 and regain home court advantage.

We always hear the old saying in sports: "it's not about how you start, but how you finish." I'll just jump right into the negative. The free throw shooting was atrocious tonight. 28/43 from the line. Anthony Davis accounted for most of that. He has been terrific from the line all season long, making 88% of his free throws. Tonight, he was 50% from the line. AD was off to a really slow start, but luckily it wasn't that long till he got going in the 2nd half. Lakers were able to get the win despite this. At the same time, they left a lot of points out there on the table.

Now, we get to the highlights of this game. LeBron James hasn't been great in the bubble, but tonight he showed that he's still one of the best players in the world. 38 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 11-18 shooting, the King took over early on in this game to get the Lakers going. The offensive flow was a little discombobulated in the first half. When LeBron got into attack mode, that's when the offense started to find its spark. The Blazers' defense had no answer. And just when they think they do, he finds a cutting Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, or Dwight Howard and AD roaming in the paint, expecting a lob. 

As I mentioned before, it didn't take long for AD to shake off his slow start. Coach Terry Stotts decided to deploy a two-big lineup with Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic to slow down the 'Brow. But on the other end, the Blazers' defense was having trouble to stop LeBron. AD took advantage and went off in the 3rd quarter. On top of the key, he was automatic. Despite some horrendous free throw shooting, AD's stat line mad up for it with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 11-18 shooting. As I mentioned before, when you get a dominant, balanced performance from LBJ and AD, the Lakers are hard to beat. 

The bench once again outperformed the Blazers' bench. I mentioned this so many times, this is a given advantage for the Lakers. Alex Caruso lead the unit with 10 points and 7 assists. He's been consistent on defense doing a great job harassing Damian Lillard. The scoring and facilitating was a great sign of encouragement since he's been dormant on that end. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 7 points, Dwight Howard grabbed 10 boards. 

Speaking of defense, it was masterful in the 4th quarter. Portland shot 6/21 during that quarter. They didn't hit a 3-pointer. Dame still went off besides the injury to his index finger on his non-shooting hand with 34 points. But, Dame Time didn't make it in time down the stretch. The last one minute of the fourth quarter was an incredible sequence of defense with Danny Green and AD throwing block parties late. It's a testament on how the Lakers' defense came up big tonight, especially down the stretch of the game.

Ah, if only this game was in the Moda Center with the Blazers fans filing for the exit after this game. Games 2 and 3 were terrific turnarounds for the purple and gold. We keep criticizing the starting lineup that Frank Vogel has on the floor. But, if it ain't broke don't fix it. And, this lineup works at the moment. Other side notes, Rajon Rondo was active tonight, but then immediately was inactive after some back spasms at shootaround. Honestly, as much as Rondo is valuable to the 2nd unit, it's best to keep him of the rotation at this point while Vogel's current rotation is getting the Lakers wins. Despite the win, this series is far from over and the Lakers have to continue to step on the gas. Next game is on 8/24 aka "Kobe Bryant Day." To honor the late, great Kobe, the Lakers must instill some of that Mamba Mentality and rip Portland's heart out to take a commanding 3-1 lead during that day. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Rout Blazers in Game 2 to Even Up Series

Final: POR 88 LAL 111 - Tied 1-1

Alright, time to talk about this game! The Lakers respond with their backs against the wall early on in this first round matchup. And they do it in a big way, dominating and demoralizing the Blazers in an 88-111 victory to tie the series up and one game a piece.

It's been awhile since I covered a Lakers playoff win. I said in the last recap, the Lakers must treat this game as a "must-win" even if it's early on in the series. This Portland team is a dangerous squad for a first round opponent. Tonight, we saw a well-rounded win. The Lakers turned up the defensive intensity. They were more aggressive offensively. Role players stepped it up. This is just a great way to respond after giving the first game away and to snap a 7-game losing streak in the playoffs for the Purple and Gold.

Anthony Davis is the unanimous MVP for this game. He lead the Lakers with 31 points and 11 rebounds, first player to score 30+ pts and grab 10 rebs in playing under 30 minutes since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Last game, despite the 28-point effort in the loss, AD was inconsistent in the field goal percentage, shooting 8-24 from the field. Tonight, he shot an efficient 13-21. For the most part, AD did work inside the paint with 16 points in the paint at the first half. In the 3rd quarter, his 3-point game got going and helped balloon the Lakers lead to 30 points, which was the largest in this game. 

Second takeaway from this game, the role players stepped it up. Javale McGee got some great looks inside courtesy of the ball movement and court vision from LeBron James. He finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope showed up to play tonight with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Honestly, it's a love-hate relationship with KCP because he's so streaky. But after dropping a "triple-single" last game, he stepped up as the third option outside of LeBron and AD. LeBron only had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he drew a lot of attention to set up teammates nicely for high percentage shots. He was also active defensively with 2 steals.

Speaking of steals, Danny Green leads the Lakers in that category with 4 steals. He still shows value as a defender, but his offense still needs to catch on. Defensively, they put the clamps on Portland's star backcourt tandem. Dame Time was held in check to 18 points. McCollum struggled with 13 points. Dame exited the game in the 3rd quarter with an injury to his index finger. Even if he returned, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Blazers are reliant on their backcourt to drop buckets. Tonight was an example of how ineffective the Blazers' offense can get when Dame and CJ are not on their A-game.

Overall, this was a fantastic bounceback win from the Lakers. It's been a theme dating back to the season prior to the suspension, the Lakers are much better when Anthony Davis dominates. LeBron had pedestrian numbers, but he didn't have to be great either, especially when the role players step their game up. Now granted, I still don't like the starting lineup. I still don't like the fact that Dion Waiters is still playing minimal minutes even though he's the Lakers' leading scorer and facilitator off the bench. But, it is what it is. On a side note, it was nice to see J.R. Smith in the rotation and put up buckets, finishing with 11 points. I am thoroughly impressed with this win. It's just a matter if the Lakers can maintain this kind of consistency, especially from the role players as the series shift to Game 3. Lucky for them, they're not playing in front of a rocking Moda Center in Portland. Injuries aside, AD did sustain some minor back and ankle problems this game, but he seemed fine the rest of the way. Damian Lillard's injury to his index figure is something to look out for, which could be a huge break for the Lakers and a tough one for the Blazers. Game 3 is up next on Saturday! I'll see you guys later.

Dame Time, Blazers Spoil Lakers' Playoff Return

Final Score: POR 100 LAL 93 - Trail Blazers lead 1-0

Welcome in to the recap of Game 1 of Lakers playoff basketball. Lakers started slow out of the gate, made a furious comeback, but it wasn't enough to slow down Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and the Portland Trail Blazers as they draw first blood in this playoff matchup.

As I said before, the Blazers will not make this easy. You have a team playing with a sense of urgency since the restart, a team playing better than what they're record shows vs. a team that is still trying to find their way back into the swing of things. First things first, yes this game was a fight to the bitter end. But, when you get into a slow start against this team, they'll make you pay for it eventually. 

For the most part, the first half was a brutal start for the Lakers. Their offensive struggles have been magnified even more this game, which I'll get into later. Up until the 8:27 mark in the 2nd quarter, Lakers showed signs of life. The things that worked this game was that the Lakers dominated the points in the paint and they drew a lot of fouls inside to get to the free throw line. The two-man game of LeBron and AD was on point inside, but outside and in crunch time was a different story. In the first half, Lakers scored 26 points in the paint compared to Portland's 14 points. Bench production was a positive with 25 combined points. Kyle Kuzma lead the way with 14 points off the bench. Portland only plays 3 men off the bench. As I said in the preview, they've play an 8-man rotation in the bubble. This will be the biggest mismatch that the Lakers must exploit in this series.

The negatives, the 3-point shooting is still a major problem. But before I get into that, the Lakers started shooting 20% from the field in the first quarter before getting up to 36% shooting at the half. But the woeful field goal percentage accounts to the 3-points shooting that hasn't been on point during this restart. Tonight, Lakers shot 5/32 from beyond the arc. I thought the corner 3 was Danny Green's sweet spot? He finished 2-8 from three's, but most of his misses came from the corner. Some of them wide open and he missed them. Anthony Davis may have lead in the scoring with 28 points and dominated inside, but he attempted five 3-pointers and missed all of them. LeBron James went 1-5 from downtown, despite a triple-double and so did Kyle Kuzma. Kentavious Caldwell-Poop went 0-5. Alex Caruso went 0-3. Markieff Morris saw extended action off the bench and was the only player that shot 100% from 3-point land. But, that's not saying much.

Missed free throws were also magnified from this game. It was 89-87 in the 4th quarter and the Lakers had two chances from the line to tie the game up behind their superstar duo. LBJ and AD missed both of their attempts and left four points on the table. But, it wouldn't have mattered. Dame Time lived up to his moniker in the 4th quarter and the Blazers close out the game on an 10-4 run. The Blazers had four players in foul trouble this game. But when they backcourt tandem of Lillard and McCollum are firing on a cylinders, they pretty much cancel out Portland's flaws. As I mentioned in the preview, the Blazers' defense is suspect. But tonight, their defense came up big headlined by Hassan Whiteside providing that spark with 5 blocks. A side note I should point out, Dion Waiters only played 1 minute this game even though he has engineered consistent production off the bench since this restart. I don't know how he fell out of the rotation tonight, but I should see him on that floor to spark the offense, especially for Game 2.

I know many of the Laker faithful will sugar coat this 1st game. "It's the first game, we'll be back." "Orlando pulled a stunner over Milwaukee earlier today, don't feel bad." But, there's no sugar coating it. The Lakers will have their work cut out in this series. This is a legit, scary team that they're facing for a first round matchup. And the fact that the offensive struggles are still magnified after 8 seeding games, there is still cause for concern. The Lakers clinched the #1 seed, but they haven't played like one up to this point. You can't expect to outscore this Blazers team by shooting under 40% from the field and chucking up 32 3-point attempts and making just 5 of them. You just can't! We need to see better in Game 2 Thursday night. It's early in the series, but the Lakers have to treat Game 2 as a "must-win." I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Playoff Preview: First Round vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Welcome in to the first ever Lakers playoff preview on this blog. It's been awhile. I've covered the Lakers' playoff runs from 2011-2013, but not exactly in this capacity to where this blog is at now. They always say the road to a championship is never easy. And the Lakers' are running into a legit first round opponent in their return to the postseason: the Portland Trail Blazers, lead by the explosive Damian Lillard.

I'm going to come clean here first. I rooted for Brooklyn on Thursday. Tough miss by Caris Levert on that one and especially heartbreaking for the 8-0 Phoenix Suns. I rooted for the Grizzlies yesterday. But, this matchup seemed inevitable. The Lakers will be facing off against a team that is better than what they're record and seeding shows. 

Though the Lakers took the regular season series over the Blazers 2-1, it wouldn't be a fair assessment considering a lot has happened in the four months since the NBA suspended. Dame, CJ McCollum, Melo, Jusuf Nurkic, this Portland team is a squad that shouldn't be taken lightly. When you look at the Trail Blazers in the bubble, they played with their backs against the wall in every game. While the Lakers were casually strolling through these seeding games, these Blazers were scrapping and clawing to get to the playoffs. Dame Time was a man on a mission, averaging 30 points a game since the restart. They have Nurkic back to strengthen their front court with Hassan Whiteside and Zach Collins. Looking at their games, Terry Stotts has been playing an 8-9 man rotation and it has worked for them. Gary Trent has showed up big in the bubble to provide a spark for Portland's 2nd unit.

From a Lakers standpoint, the defense is going to be a point of emphasis in this series. The backcourt is going to have their hands full with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. If there's ever a time where Avery Bradley's defensive presence is going to be missed, it's this series. KCP, Danny Green, Caruso, and Dion Waiters are going to get their work in guarding this tandem. However, while Portland's offense is a well-oiled machine, their defense has been suspect throughout the seeding games. And that's something that the Lakers must exploit with LeBron and AD running the show. 

Dame going off is inevitable. There's nobody that can defend him when he's on a scoring rampage. But, his efforts won't matter if the Lakers can manage to hold down CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and everyone else. Melo's presence has given this Portland team a third scoring option outside of their back court. Jusuf Nurkic has been a beast inside. While the Lakers have AD, Javale, and Dwight, we can't underestimate Portland's front court with Nurkic, Collins, and Hassan Whiteside coming off the bench for defense and blocks. They will be Portland's X-Factor alongside Gary Trent Jr. providing a scoring spark off the bench. Onto the Lakers' side, without question, Kyle Kuzma will be the X-Factor from here on out. We need to see Kuz in that lineup with the LBJ-AD duo and possess some consistency in scoring and defense.

The Lakers can't afford to be involved in a shootout with the Trail Blazers, especially when they're this hot. You look at the Lakers' offense during these games, it hasn't been pretty. It looked like they don't have their legs under them. LeBron looked old at times. AD had three good games, but was overly passive during these seeding games. Rotations looked discombobulated when you have Frank Vogel fiddling with what works. The three-point shooting was inconsistent. The Lakers better be sharper and they need to be locked in because this Finals road will be a grinder. 

Overall, this matchup has 6-game series written all over it with the potential to be a 7-game series. The Blazers have played more games up to this point and the Lakers must err on the side of caution in the "double-edged sword" of having an extended rest. Like I said, they looked flat at times in the bubble, they can't afford to fall flat as the games do matter now. But, who knows? The Blazers might not have any energy after fighting for their playoff lives throughout. We'll see how this unfolds. Game 1 is on Tuesday. I'll see you guys then and GO LAKERS!